CeeCee

No mention of the 2 Eurovision's food songs this year? Latvia's "Cake to Bake" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7CL8anA1hQ and Belarus' "Cheesecake" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qe7YmYgowM Lunachicks "Mmm Donuts" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiqD2WPu6QU Sneaker Pimps "Cute Sushi Lunches" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAB_sUjajYA Annette Hanshaw "Cooking Breakfast for the one I love" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJufqP6sHDQ Imam Baildi's album Cookbook brings a song about a man being used as a Greek snack on the go, "Pasatempos" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfhrhITARBU Dutch-Indonesian Anneke Grönloh: "Home Cooking" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQfT5DkDm28 Dutch-Indonesian "Tante Lien" (Wieteke van Dort) about moving to The Netherlands and Dutch food. "Geef mij maar Nasi Goreng" (I prefer nasi goreng) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB-mVj54PQg Kris Berry can't mix milk and sauerkraut in "Stick to the Recipe" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbkehzBN1Z8 Belgian Hooverphonic uses "Vinegar and Salt" and their properties as a metaphor, but with al the moleculary cooking here, this might be just borderline enough to be tolerated in this topic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22L4FX5UNNU Fink "Biscuits for Breakfast" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bARA-3uW-u0 Fink "Blueberry Pancakes" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faHAem2OiEs The Smiths "Meat is Murder" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xacRTqk5QFM Zion I & The Grouch "I Used to be vegan" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khlr81yJ3C0 (watch the volume) BABYMETAL "GimiChoko" (Gimme Chocolate) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIKqgE4BwAY Jacques Brel brought sweets in "Les Bonbons" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyaYSNkDVo8 Sia "Sweet Potato" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIBXJMcdluY Is booze accepted? Jacques Brel "La Bière" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7TOZJDguYU Rowwen Heze on ordering in a bar "Bestel maar" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gushnHnSWBY Shantel gets help from good ol' vodka in "Disko Boy" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be7O4m9rOZE

You might regret feeding high quality food when your kid hits puberty and starts eating like crazy though . But giving them their own budget to spend on extra's like this might even give them an extra lesson in the financial department as well.

Hell yeah! I try to sing as well, even using wooden spoons as a mic and such. Quite tone deaf, so I do make sure there's either no one around or sufficient amounts of alcohol to be had. Cooking naked is something I won't be trying again anytime soon. While wearing only sky high stiletto's I noticed how this is a very bad idea when frying pancetta in the name of romance. The bastard kept on telling me, I wasn't romantic enough though. So I dumped him and got myself an apron instead.

After feasting on dolma's made by others, I have now gotten some bags of dolmalik kuru patlican (Miras brand) to try and make it myself. For dolma's it's standard procedure to soak the dried eggplants. But since I'm looking into making another dish with this ingredient, I'm wondering if this is necessary in the same way like you soak Mexican dried peppers? Is there some bitterness to be expected and should I throw out the soaking water? Has anyone got any experience stewing the dried eggplant in a sauce without soaking for instance?

To each his own. I grew up on Basmati (because of my Iraqi background), and although I love it to death, and as much as it's my desert island rice, I intensely dislike having it with anything requiring chopsticks, because of its a) extremely non-sticky nature and b) signature taste. Similarly, Middle Eastern or Indian food with Japanese rice wouldn't feel right to me either. Although it makes me feel like a snob, I'm with Hassouni on this subject. It just doesn't feel right to me to use some varieties on some occasions. My SO was shocked to see how many bags of rice are in my pantry, especially since I buy basmati in bulk which seemed like a very sufficient amount to him. He has been succesfully converted now, he just never knew what's available and what difference they can bring to the table. Though he wouldn't as mind as much to eat basmati with a Chinese stir fry, but that's also because he just loves basmati. Not mentioned yet, I found a smoked basmati rice that I haven't tried out yet. Not white, but still interesting (at least to me it is): Camargue red rice and Sri Lankan red rice. I have a Turkish red and a black one which I found in Turkey, but they're originally from Italy. Need to do some translation on the subject, because I'm not sure if the black one has been coloured with squid ink or if it's a natural black type. I guess this will be my new years resolution, trying even more (and not so much white) rice...

Now that's swift, thanks Chris!

This sounds interesting, but a search didn't help me find more details unfortunately. Could someone point me in the right direction please?

Paul Hollywood had a try as well and it is conveniently available on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSSVON91NwE

I have no caliber to show at all here, but I just want to thank everybody for posting al this great stuff. Please keep going while I drool and dream away about hiding on a shelf watching you all do your magic things and even having a little taste here and there. *content sigh* This is my happy place

It's the definition of a better product where the difference of opinion is, I guess. For me a better product is defined by taste, texture, etc., so whenever a description of how good as in how healthy it should be for me, the less enticed I am. It's all about priorities and mine is definitely not making the healthiest brownie possible or a fat free mac 'n'cheese. But I will happily try getting a great version, so yeah bean brownies and MC mac 'n' cheese are on my to do list for sure. I had great meals made by vegans by the way, so I agree with you on that point. But they just made great food that was vegan. It wasn't great because it is supposedly healthier or better than a non vegan dinner.

This and anything that requires light products. I don't trust light products or margarine and I certainly want to feel it's a treat, which seems physicly impossible with this inferior stuff or things like veganized butter frosted cupcakes. Sure, I respect trying to lose weight and/or save the environment, but I really can't get excited over the end results for these 'just as good or even better than the real deal' stuff. The bean brownie does sound so ridicious, I will try that one day just for the heck of it. But if I want guilt to be involved, I will just call my mother...

Onion gravy is a favourite in our house as well, but generally very basic. Onions smothered in butter in various sizes, so some of it disappears into the sauce and some of it gives a bit of texture. Either a bit of garlic, mustard, horseradish, some chopped tomato, soy sauce (ketjap medja) and/or sometimes a hint of chipotle are used to perk things up. The first 4 can also be used in the mash itself (a garlic glove can cook along with the potatoes for a subtle flavour) of course.

If you ever find yourself in Instanbul, check out the Ortakoÿ area where you will find a decadently loaded version named kumpir. Butter and cheese are mixed through the interior, with sometimes really scary amounts of salt (warn upfront if you need to control your salt intake). After this you can choose from a wide array of generally previously jarred stuff like corn, peas, pickles (gherkins, cabbage, beets, carrots, etc.), but also Russian salad, bulgur salad kisir, olives, chopped onions and more. Topped with some sauce(s), you won't be hungry for a while again. To get an idea, here's a little youtube footage: http://youtube.com/watch?v=PcWC9CGBjO0 and http://youtube.com/watch?v=JrtfYd5br00

Thanks for the link Kenneth, didn't know about Kasma having a recipe for this! Anyone who uses pepper leaves in a different way?

Dear all, A little while ago a Laotian dish almost literally blew my mind. Bold flavours, contrasting textures, yum! The description on the menu was a taste explosion and it did live up that. It were pepper leaf rolls, including raw red onion, lemon, palm sugar, peanuts, ginger and some other ingredients, which I forgot or couldn't indentify. The cook told me the sauce for the filling needs to be boiled down, which takes a while. I've been looking online and recipes are not that forthcoming, so I'm hoping someone here might know about these and could give a hint as where to search. Of course, other suggestions for using pepper leaves would be highly appreciated too...

Me too, really enjoying this one and Kerry's and Anna N's as well. Thank you so much for all the effort you guys put into this peek into another one's culinary life, it's very much appreciated!

Well, old or not, here are some other suggestions just in case anyone else is looking. Completely vegetarian: - http://www.bettys.nl I guess this must be the most upscale veggie restaurant in town. They work with Oliver Roellinger's herbs, among other things. No personal experience to share, but I heard good comments about it. It's located in the Jordaan, 10-15 minute walk from Central Station. Give them a call upfront if the meal should be vegan. They also sell goodies from different producers to take home. Could be a nice incentive for a client to take home, every time it's used they will think you. - http://www.maritshuiskamerrestaurant.nl Living room restaurant with a not so homey look, but the vibe and food do. The owner is designer/chef Marit, who cooks vegetarian with biological, fair trade and local produce. There's no menu, it differs per day so call her beforehand about vegan or dietary requests. Location is near Oosterpark in the East with metro, bus and tram nearby. - De Bolhoed on the Prinsengracht has an alternative feel to it. Very colourful interior, hindu art on the wall and a book swap corner. It's cosy, but might be an acquired taste. I've heard many mixed reviews about the food and service, but they do have vegan dishes on their regular menu. - http://www.waaghals.nl/infoENG.htm is near the Weteringschans and the Rijksmuseum, reachable by tram. It has a bi-monthly changing menu, local brewed beers and organic wines. Informal atmosphere, but looks way more neat than De Bolhoed. I heard better reviews about this place. - http://www.vliegendeschotel.com/en is near the Rozengracht in the Jordaan area, so public transport is nearby. This is Amsterdams oldest vegetarian restaurant. A bit colourful interiorwise, a mostly biological mish mash menu and always vegan options available. - http://www.restaurantgoldentemple.com is run by Indian people and has an alternative feel. It's located on one of the foodie streets, de Utrechtsestraat near Rembrandtsquare. The menu is international, completely vegetarian + vegan and raw options as well. Might be an acquired taste... If it's not necessary to have a completely vegetarian restaurant, here are some options that serve nice veggie food too. Let's start with the more upscale stuff, what might be what you are looking for when entertaining a client: - http://www.restaurantdekas.nl/opening-times-and-bookings opens for both lunch and dinner. If you are looking for a special location then you should take a look on their website. They have a special business table, but check out their nursery and garden room too. Fixed menu, but they happily cater to vegetarians as well. - http://www.restaurantvermeer.nl is conveniently across Central Station. - http://www.okura.nl has several restaurants, Japanese, French and a champagne bar with a view. Less formal: - http://www.tempodoeloerestaurant.nl on the Utrechtsestraat if you're looking for a rice table. As with all Indonesian restaurants I would advise to check beforehand how their vegetarian policy is. Trassie is a small part of many dishes, but not suitable for strict vegetarians. - http://www.betawi.nl has been in the top restaurant list of one of the biggest vegetarian online community's for ages. Small, cosy and a bit quirky but enthousiastic staff. If you order an eggplant dish, ask them to cook it so it melts in your mouth. This is 2 or 3 tram stops away from Sloterdijk, so literally almost an outsider. - http://www.moeders.com is a very homey restaurant, which serves Dutch food as a rice table so you get to try different Dutch dishes. The walls are covered with pictures of mothers. The plates and cutlery were crowd sourced, so no table is layed out the same. Near Rozengracht, tram and bus stops in the area. - http://www.bierfabriek.com is conveniently located on the Rokin, so just a few minutes walk away from Central Station. Nice space, a lot of wood work and beer brewing kettles. Very limited menu, but one of few places where you will find veggie bitterballen (famous Dutch fried ragout balls, nephews of the kroket) which are even home made. Just 3 choices of beer, but they do have a Dutch cheese board to match. - http://deprael.nl is a bit hidden in the red light district/Chinatown area. It's a brewery with a proeflokaal, a bit pub like if you will. Small menu, might be a good idea to check beforehand about their vegetarian options. Interior feels a bit outdated as does the menu, but if you're looking for that Dutchie brown cafe feel this is a good option. Obviously, there's a lot more available in Amsterdam, just a few hints where to look mostly around the centre.

The Dutch have been infamous for cooking the right amount for just family members, leaving unexpected guests out or asking play date kids to go home on time. I guess this would make it uncommon here, but the so called huiskamer (livingroom) restaurants have been on the rise in the bigger cities. Albeit not completely legal, it's not very common yet. There is a new phenoma called http://www.thuisafgehaald.nl, where you can subscribe in order to share home cooked meals or bakes and/or pick them up from someone else in your area. Haven't tried it myself, but some foodie friends have offered their food through this. I think it's great in these economic times and would be a great solution for me and my cooking hunger if I were living alone, since I cook big portions and don't want to eat that much of the same thing and not everything is as suitable for freezing. Another thing is a social project to help integration, where Islamic families open up their homes to share their Iftar meal. I think there aren't any costs involved in this case. A friend of mine tried this and liked it, but the timing has been off for me so I still haven't tried this so far. On a personal level I'm used to opening up my house. From my very young age, my mom brought home students from all kinds of nationalities who missed the opportunity to cook at their housing and had trouble adjusting to local food. So we had loads of international home cooked dishes to sample at these occasions. This meant our Dutch neighbours got upset over all those weird and pungent smells (I heard many stories of Dutchies even complaining about the smell of the use of 1 or 2 garlic cloves, so we were lucky that they only complaint about these big gatherings then). They had never seen weird stuff like coconuts being cracked open in our back yard in those days. Nowadays I still do things like these, but not with complete strangers.

Would you be so kind to share the recipe for the bärlauch spätzle? Are you just substituting it for basil or will you adjust more of the pesto recipe? I picked up some dried bärlauch (Swedish origin), since I haven't come across any fresh in The Netherlands so far. Haven't used the dried stuff yet. Although not being a particular fan of vegetarian 'meats', the German Taifun brand has a decent bärlauch filet: http://www.taifun-tofu.de/en/produkte/taifun_tofu_produkte.php?NID1=3&NID2=9&NID3=0&ProdGr=9 which we enjoy every now and then.

Totally agree on Madhur Jaffrey, World Cafe Cookbooks and Sophie Grigson's vegetable book! Not mentioned yet is Yamuna Devi's The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking. Yes, it comes from a spiritual background, but not in a overbearing way. Won several prices. If you want try vegan, Isa Chandra Moskowitz has written several books next to Veganomicon, covering a wide variety of dishes. On http://www.theppk.com, you'll find her blog with recipes to give you an idea. UK mag Vegetarian Living is also digitally available, http://www.vegetarianliving.co.uk/. Although it does present itself more as a life style mag and raises some health and environmental issues, I don't get an unshaved and smelly armpits, while wearing goat's hair socks in ugly sandals feeling about the recipes.

Back in the day, my mom was a teacher at an international school where students from really poor to quite rich backgrounds attended. Not only did she collect quite a recipe collection, she also invited students over she clicked with over to her house so they could cook their favourites from back home they missed so much. They had to stay in a sort of hostel, where Dutchies tried to cook an international fare suitable for everybody's tastebuds. The students didn't get access to the kitchen, so my mom offered hers. The neighbours were shocked by the smells and the exotic stuff like cracking open coconuts (a novelty in those days, although it's not very common now either) in the back yard. For my 8th birthday we had a buffet containing Asian, African and Latino dishes. Although it was nothing like I imagined chocolate soup to be, what kid wouldn't be excited to sample a dish with a name like that! I cherish the one official recipe book that school made, even when some of the recipes are not very clear nor detailed. One really starts from scratch: Grab a chicken, wring it's neck and pluck it. The legacy goes on, as I'm collecting recipes and an eclectic mix of people in my kitchen too. It's a tradition to bring food celebrating a birthday and such. This generally means mediocre pie or cake. In The Netherlands they really like their slagroomtaart, a whipped cream pie. I can't stand most of those heavy and gelatin laced cream concoctions. Luckily these treats could also mean stroopwafels (thin wafel cookie with syrop), boterkoek (rich buttery goodness, Chufi posted a recipe in the Dutch food thread), apple pie and such. Working in a multicultural environment means we also get not so common fare like semolina cookies from someone's Moroccan mom, Indonesian spiced meat balls and Surinamese cake at times. When clients sent stuff over, it's generally the common Dutch creamy stuff. Expats come to share their joy when a package from home comes in. We have jumped up and down over a pepper collection sent in from the States among many other things. I guess my love of food in general and spicy, chocolaty stuff in particular don't go unnoticed. Another tradition, may it be a dying one, is a kerstpakket (Christmas package) from an employer or client. Nowadays I get one, with a very mediocre content, but it is the thought that counts. This year it included canned tomato soup, brie, savoury crackers, beschuit (rusk or zwieback), popcorn, liquorice, winegums, mini pate cups, an energy drink (is that a hint dear boss?) and Italian style cookies. A new trend is to give this package to the voedselbank, which hands out food packages to people who are living a financially very tight life. Also popular: Wine and/or gift vouchers. The latter are getting more culinary each year. The weirdest situation I had, was when I was working in a deli in Amsterdam. One of our regulars presented me with a really delicious looking piece of chocolate pie, he described it as the very best he ever ate and had told me about it often. Normally that's my cue, but this retired business man spent his days in a coffeeshop (yes, you know which kind I mean). So it was a bit of a sticky situation as he was waiting for me to take a sample. I was halfway through my shift and on camera (hi boss!), but luckily lunch rush saved me as I didn't want to be rude to him being kind. I checked the origins of the pie with the producer at the end of the day (the guy was a regular there as well) and tried it for dessert. It was nice and the only time I accepted food from a stoner.

This does seem a bit more respectful than the amateurs whining about some sick or dead relative or troubled loved one, trying to set an example for other single moms/overweight people/whatever excuse can be used to get through to the other round hoping "it's good enough". "Oh I worked so hard for this, I want this so bad". If this trend continues, I'm gonna sign up for miss beautiful black as a caucasian. I want it, I have sick relatives, divorced parents and I look heartbreaking when I cry. This title will be mine, because I want to give hope and show disadvantaged kids all over the world that anything is possible! What the hell happened to wanting to be the best based on actual merits? To be rewarded for a skill one really has or acquired. Is it a disease to want and/or do something just for yourself nowadays? I'll take GBM over most shows on any given day...

And they're going to court now. Authorities temporarily shut down the producer, but apparently this is only possible when the quality is questionable. Samples are being tested, but in the meantime the discussion about not delivering what's agreed on will be taken to court. Media have been adamant that the quality supposedly always has been good, even when it isn't the 100% beef as promised. The steak restaurant mentioned in my 1st post in this topic doesn't have an available table anymore. They admit to have known it was horse, but advertising it as biefstuk (beef steak) on their menu was purely for marketing reasons. This has been going on since 1949, including staff contracts to not ever disclose the 'beef' steaks real origin. To his defence, the owner did say he always told the truth when people asked where the meat came from. South - America! Honestly no one has ever asked if the beef steak was really beef, he said. (Have you ever asked your waiter if your beef really said moo a few weeks ago?) And now his business is flourishing. Food for thought I guess...

The scandal is all over the news in The Netherlands as well, but barely any suspicious products have been returned to the vendors. People are upset that their food contains something different than was communicated and of course horses are noble animals that are not regular consumed. At least that's what the majority thinks, but no one ever checks the ingredients of the very populair kroketten and bitterballen. These are advertised in the supermarkets specifically as horse free, but the ones sold in (snack)bars and restaurant do contain them. Nobody ever seems to wonder about those though, while the frikandel (another snack) has been subject of jokes containing everything from cow's eyes to god knows what. A bitterbal or kroket in the supermarket will not sell well if it states containing horse meat. The most popular horse product sold as such is probably paardenworst, a sausage. Horse steak has some fans, but it's not readily available. Except for that one famous beef steak joint, that now points an accusing finger at the trader who points right back that they must have known they were selling horse steaks all along. I've sampled one of the products that is under suspicion, although it was many years ago. I don't eat meat a lot and tend to avoid the really cheap meat containing products all together. I did find the suspicious 1 euro lasagne a whole lot more palatable than the 3 or 4 euro costing lasagne by the same supermarket. As a horse lover, having trained and worked on a competitive level, phenylbutazone was the first thing that came to mind. Although prohibited since many years, it's still being used. I haven't seen any publication about quantities though and I wonder if they properly check for forbidden substances like this. Some horse meat sellers pointed out that horse meat is a lot healthier, because they're not produced for consuming and don't get antibiotics and such, which is a recquirement when producing on a mass scale I guess. In my opinion this is a ridiculous statement, but that's because I've seen and worked with sport horses that tend to get more care and substances to push their boundairies. These are the horses that end up at the butchers too, among the more recreational used horses. The average age of a horse in The Netherlands is just 12 years old, which is way too young in my opinion as they can reach an age up to 30 years. With the economy being down, I guess only top of the crop can get picked and the rest ends up being a very cheap meat. A Dutch tv show that investigates the food industry aired an episode where it showed that many Dutch horses end up at a Belgian market. From there the meat travels as far as Japan, where pony's are considered a specialty. I've yet have to come across a my little pony steak in The Netherlands though.

Today in an Indian store I stumbled upon a package containing something I'd never seen before, which was called kamarkas. After a bit of googling I now know that it's edible, but I can't find much about the flavour it produces except that it's bitter. Perhaps that's why it is used in a more medicinal than culinary way? Most common finds online are recipes for paneerji, a traditional pick-me-up for women who just gave birth. There's some confusion as I found 3 different Latin names for it, salvia plebeian, butea monosperma and butea frondosa. Does anyone know more about this? Which Latin name is correct or perhaps even a tasty recipe?